With Spring, Hope Comes
by Joei Write
Summary: Over the last year, Jack and Bunny's friendship has drastically matured. However, a spur of the moment decision in Bunny's warren backfires, and now both are left to wonder where their relationship stands. Spring may have come, but whether it's brought hope with it remains to be seen.
1. Chapter 1 of 3

A/N: In case it wasn't painfully obvious, this is a Jackrabbit three-shot. I find the pairing very likeable, and also the most feasible of the many pairings the movie has produced. Naturally, I don't own the film or its characters; this is just simply my take on their relationship. Thanks for reading!

With Spring, Hope Comes

Chapter 1 of 3

The fragrant sounds of the tweeting birds in the tree drifted through Bunny's ears as he peered at the children from behind the bush. He'd already finished planting them all around the green park for those little rascals to find, and while the job had been grueling, the moment of triumph was near at hand. All year he slaved in his warren for the expression of joy and hope that was about to light up the children's faces, and as the tiny insects crawled around his large feet, Bunny saw one such tyke nearing the first egg. He sniffed, making his nose flex involuntarily, and then it settled back down. Through the leaves of the flora he stared and itched with excitement as the little girl he watched creep ever slowly closer to the patch of flowers he'd hidden a golden egg in. His large ears were down, but they still drifted from side to side in anticipation. He felt his fingers beginning to get agitated, and his pupils dilated with exhilaration. There was nothing more he could do to maintain his eagerness, and in one blissful moment, the little girl squealed with elation as she waved her prize over her head and ran to her friends to show them.

The overly large rabbit smiled, exposing his large, bucked teeth. Ever the curios one, he peered over the top of the bush, careful not to be seen by the innocent troublemakers. Several meters away he saw the children staring enviously at the girl and her spectacular prize, and soon they dispersed to look for their own little wonders. Bunny backed down from the shrub and slunk away from the clearing. His ears returned to their naturally erect state, and his tail began to flicker and buzz. Like a canid, he was happy, jubilant even. The guardian had done his job, and by the looks of things he'd done it well. Easter had come, and the look of hope that he saw on those little kids' faces was well worth the effort that he put in over the last year. Satisfied, he tapped his foot determinately against the earthen soil, and a tunnel to his warren appeared like a sinkhole. Bunny stole a last look at the gleeful unsizeables, and then dove in to relay the good news.

Down his hole, he shot like some kind of maglev freight train. Bulleting through the dirt and soil, he plummeted further down into the ground. The dirt whizzed by him like flashes of light, and soon the air became amorous. Then the potent scent of flowers collided with his nostrils. He had arrived home.

Popping into his expansive warren, Bunny caught wind of some expectancy. He wasn't alone in his home, he could tell by the pulse of sound that carried over into his exceptionally large ears. He sniffed the air as bunnies do, and then he found that he was needed elsewhere in the warren. Propelling himself across the green expanses that made up his domain, he bounded like a deer over the flowers, creeks, and rocks. Past the egg monoliths he soared, and after crossing though the tunnel, he found himself hearing several voices echoing through the warren. They were the voices he'd heard before, and now they were drawing in. Normally, he would've readied his two dynamic boomerangs and prepped his throwing arm, which were both of them. But in this case, all he could do was roll his eyes as the sound of beating wings closed in, followed by merry belly laughter. The Easter Bunny turned around and fastened his composure, for before him approached three of his nearest, and only, companions: North, Guardian of Wonder; Tooth, Guardian of Memories; Sandman, or rather Sandy, Guardian of Dreams. North smiled heartily and was the first walk up to Bunny and give his a well-earned slap on the back.

"Ya know mate, that still hurts. No matter how many times ya do it." Bunny told his bearded friend, but the jolly old muscleman shrugged and bore his biceps for all their worth. He crossed his arms professionally as he responded.

"Eh, just means you aren't quite up to snuff." He meant no harm, but Bunny was still aggravated by North. Tooth was so jittery she could barely keep herself from stuttering as she hummed over to Bunny with a dazzling smile cemented onto her face.

"Oh, wow Bunny! My faeries told me all about it while they were out collecting the newest batch of teeth. It sounds like you did an amazing job, yet again! The kids are going to make so many memories from this!" Tooth happily flew in a circle as Sandy used his magical abilities to form two hands over his head and clap them, with no sound. Bunny grinned at his graded friend, and nodded.

"Thanks, mate. At least one of ya doesn't feel the need to play off my success." Sandy waggled his finger and formed over his head a batch of eggs, and then a child sleeping soundly. Bunny's grin faded into a ghastly frown, and then his ears drooped in exacerbation. "Spoke to soon, seems like."

"Nah," said North. "We really proud of you, Bunny. Truly, job well done. Not like we have much choice in matter."

"Oh, save ya breath ya gingerbread cookie." Bunny brushed North off of him and rounded backwards. He hopped up onto a nearby rock and placed himself over his peers. He sat down on his rump and let his ears ring. The good news needed to be delivered. "Well, as ya may 'ave guessed, Easter went smoothly this year. No interruptions or inconveniences of any kind. And no, Tooth, before ya ask, there was no sign of Pitch anywhere. I think it's safe to say e's out of our hair for good."

"Really, nothing Bunny?" asked North. "Not even small setback or mishap? Everything went smooth?" The rabbit nodded.

"Aye. I know. Even I think it's strange. Usually, I gotta worry 'bout that Frosty mucking the place up. 'E almost did last time." said Bunny. Tooth hovered over his head and tapped his nose like he was a house pet.

"Oh, that was a year ago. You should just let it go. Besides, he didn't do anything to you this year, right?"

"No, but that's just the issue." Bunny looked around curiously, and then his eyebrow muscle flexed.

"Jack has been a bit solitary lately." Inputted Tooth. Sandy waved his arms and got everyone's attention, and then he materialized a map over his head. He pointed to it and then shrugged his shoulder with a baffled look on his face. He golden sand hair stuck out on end, his mouth furrowed to the right. His facial expression was entirely mixed into his cheek, and everyone was just as baffled as he was.

"No, sorry mate," said the slightly saddened rabbit. "I'm 'fraid I don't know where e's gotten to."

"Nor do I." North added. "Is odd, though. If we know Jack, he'd never miss chance to pull prank on one of us. Makes me wonder."

"We'd better keep our guards up then. He could strike any moment," alleged the Guardian of Memories. North and the others laughed, but not Bunny.

At the mere mention of Jack's shenanigans he felt his cheeks begin to flush with color, and small rage ignited in his chest. Every single time that Bunny thought he had something going smoothly, Jack Frost, newly appointed Guardian of Fun, had to come in and turn it into some huge fiasco. Each one of Jack's childish pranks typically took days to clean up, and purely thinking of the last one sent waves of ire spiraling through Bunny's system. He ears stopped twitching, and his tail lost its bounce. There was once a pleasant scent drifting through the air in Bunny's warren, but as of right then, it had been fouled. He winched, and then hopped off the rock and started walking through the tunnel that led to the inner sanctum of the warren. He could hear the other guardians bustling about behind him, and then he heard the rustic voice of North echoing down the hall.

"Bunny! We were just kidding 'round."

"No, no mate. It's fine. I just, need some time, is all. I'll see ya at the pole later for some spirits." He called back. With that, he heard them quickly scramble from his home as he walked onwards towards his own personal quarters. He needed some time to work through his anger, and at the peak of his blaze he developed a small, yet irritating twitch between his ears.

Bunny scratched it vigorously as he slowly drudged on through his warren. His life had become quite the rodeo since Jack became a guardian the previous year. At first, Bunny, like all the other guardians, were very hesitant to welcome Jack into their midst. He didn't seem like guardian material, and then as if on cue, the event with Pitch Black, the dreaded Boogeyman, came to light and he tried to begin his own personal reign of terror. Bunny was grateful for the role that Jack had played in the defeat of the madman, but now he was concerned about where Jack's priorities were. He wanted an answer, hopefully one that didn't involve tormenting him as he prepped for the following year's Easter celebrations. That was the last thing that Bunny wanted; he hated the thought of having Jack appear in the warren at any time during the course of the year and acting all callously. If he knew Jack as well as he thought he did, it meant that one way or another, he was bound to start causing trouble of some kind.

As Bunny waddled into the fielding area of his warren, near where he made his personal quarters, he couldn't help but start thinking about the other circumstances surrounding Jack's initiative guardianship. He knew that Jack had once had a human sister, and that he'd saved her while reminding everyone in his town to have fun, but all the while, he wasn't sure that that he was justified to torment his newfound allies in what was essentially the greatest workplace any dreamer could've possibly asked for. Each one of them worked year round, for decades upon centuries, and then lo and behold the Guardian of Fun finally rears his head up and takes the entire dynamic of their existence, and then shakes it up like a snow globe. Bunny wanted to be angry; he wanted to have that burning within him flicker in all directions and start a wildfire within, but it just wasn't meant to be. He'd tried adding fuel to the fire, but the logs were far to damp. Bunny sighed and felt his anger leave him as his breath did, and with that came a much needed ease.

The echoes of his giant stone egg monoliths in the distance reverberated through Bunny's ears, and it made him entirely deaf to another sound creeping its way through his own personal paradise. Behind Bunny, out of his hearing range, came a small trickle of frost. Over the roots and past the stones in the earth it ran, slowing inching upon Bunny like worms to a fungus. It made small crackles as it went, and then it darted to the right and ducked out of the rabbit's hearing. Bunny wanted to admit that he saw it coming, that he had turned around busted his prankster in the act, but that would have been a cowardly lie. From under his large, rather overbearing feet, Bunny felt a very sharp chill stab his foot, and in moments he was slipping around and then tumbled over onto his chin. His ears flopped over and they dangled in front of him while his feet came over his head. His chest and stomach were completely exposed, and when he tried to stitch together his pride, he turned and heard a certain someone bust out laughing.

"Very funny, snowflake," announced the Guardian of Hope, "But I've a few trick of my own." Feeling more than a little degenerative, Bunny turned around and found the focal point of all his anxiety sitting idly on one of his rocks. He wasn't happy with Jack for his little stunt, but couldn't force him to make him leave either.

"Well, should I stay then?"

"Should ya what?" Inquired Bunny.

"Should I stay and make amends? Or, actually I have a feeling you're not that sort of guy." Jack Frost chuckled at his own joke and stood up from the rock on which he sat. He swung his staff around and floated up over Bunny's head and planted himself firmly on the grass in a small clearing behind them. Jack was never completely sure where all the light in Bunny's warren came from, but he was glad that it did. It made everything in his little rabbit's hole grow exceptionally, especially things like flowers and other beauteous flora. "Hey, Bunny. Where does all the light down here come from?"

Bunny huffed and placed one hand on his hip and hobbled over to Jack, still trying to piece his pride together. "From the surface, obviously."

"Really? I figured we were a bit further down than that."

"Shows how much a snowbird like yerself knows about springtime and all the plots that go into it. Anyone who's anyone that's got to do spring knows that natural light is the best kind to use in any sort of situation involving growing plants. My eggs, and the flowers which I use to paint them are no different." Jack sneered, and then he lay back in the grass and crossed his legs, left over right.

"Hm, interesting you should say that, Bunny. Curious to note, but I didn't know that eggs were actually plants." Bunny's eyes flared.

"Ya know what I meant, Jack!"

The guardian in the grass sat up and reached his hand up towards the light. He smiled softly as he slunk back down and cupped the back of his head with his hands. The warm glow of the sunlight coming in from the surface of the world made the warren feel very homey, and Jack was glad that Bunny was allowing him his indulgence for even just a moment. "That's different." Bunny was confused by Jack's statement, and came to his side and sat down with him as he asked,

"What's different? The light? It's always like that."

"No, it's not that Bunny. You called me Jack. Normally, you'd call me snowflake, or pest, or some other kind of unmentionable. I'm just not used to hearing you call me by my name." Both guardians sat among the unctuous grass, and took in the gentle, easy breeze that swept through the warren, carrying the sweetening aroma of pollination from other parts of the underground kingdom.

"Well, what can I say, snowflake? We're kinda stuck with each other. The Man in the Moon decided that ya had the guts to be one of us, and even though I'm still a bit on edge 'bout it, I must admit, ya can handle yerself in a bind. And to be frank, coming from the outback, that means a lot." Jack giggled.

"Thanks, Bunny. I appreciate it. Along that note, I've been doing well with not calling you a kangaroo or anything, right?"

"Relatively, but I'm sure ya just waiting to act naughty through some other means. Truth be told, I was waiting for ya to pull some kind of joke on me this whole time. It just seemed like the kinda thing to expect out of ya." Jack sat back up with surprise on his face. Bunny noticed it like he noticed a flower rising up to take a drink from the coming rainfall. It was something he always noticed, something that was impossible to miss, and having seen it on Jack's face stunned him for a paralyzing half second. "What? Ya pull pranks, that's ya thing. I just thought,"

"Bunny," Jack abruptly interrupted him. "This is spring you're talking about here, one of only two holidays that we're supposed to be managing as guardians. If anything were to happen to your supplies, Easter could be delayed, and I can assure you that it wouldn't be my fault. At least, not intentionally. I may be the Guardian of Fun Bunny, but as much as I like to play jokes, I'm not that self-destructive."

Bunny reached up his right arms and scratched himself behind his right ear. A very interesting face formed from his mouth and left cheek, and therein formed a new feeling. It wasn't rage, or anger, as he'd previously felt. This time, it was something new altogether. The feeling felt concentrated, like it was all lingering in a single spot within his being. He recognized it quickly.

"Well bugger," said Bunny with a defeated tone. "I think I'm actually starting to feel a little bit guilty for thinking that about ya, snowflake." Both guardians sat there in the grass, and while Bunny stared down at the ground, Jack was looking right at him with his head slightly tilted to the left. A smiled was on his face, and then he sighed and fell back down and looked up at the ceiling of the mighty warren.

"Don't be, I'd probably think the same thing about me." Replied the white-haired immortal. "Hey, Bunny," the tone in which Jack said this sound lonesome, but Bunny prepared himself for whatever was about to be said. "You didn't answer my question earlier."

"Which one?" asked the Easter Bunny.

"The one about me staying and making amends for tripping you." Bunny couldn't tell if Jack was being serious, but he had his own ideas in mind of what exactly could happen to, as Jack put it, make amends.

"Eh, stay, go, it doesn't matter. It's my warren, but I can't force ya to go if ya don't wanna." Bunny said this as he too lay back in the grass and stared upwards. He placed both his hands on his stomach and rested them there as warm breezes from the surface came down through the tunnels and washed over his fur. He wasn't sure what he could say to Jack, as it seemed like everything had been sorted. "Has it really been a year already?" He asked.

"Looks like," respond Jack. "One year since we beat Pitch's face in last spring. Feels kind of nice, actually. That, and we haven't really been fighting ourselves, you and I."

"We've really changed, 'aven't we, snowflake?" Both smiled, but neither looked at the other.

There was yet another spring wind that blew by, this time from the westernmost corner of the warren, and with it came the scent of something irreplaceably sweet. Jack was the first to smell it, and it came around to Bunny soon after. Jack sat up, interested to know where the smell had come from, and after scanning the area for a bit, several meters away near a section of the babbling brook that ran through Bunny's warren, there he saw growing a red, red rose. It just sat there, highly stalwart to the elements that combated it, and yet somehow it remained. It was a survivor, and Jack found its efforts admirable. Then like clockwork, Jack got an idea. With a wave of his staff, both he and Bunny heard ice crackling as it slithered towards the rose. Upon the flower it crept, and engulfed it like hurricanes engulfed the shoreline. Both saw that its petals had been gifted with an overcoat of gentle frosting, and it perfectly fused together every essence of both winter and spring. Jack swung his staff in a circular motion and created a tender wind, and the now sturdy flower came undone and flew towards them.

Bunny heard it snap from the frost the consumed it, and Jack's wind made it soar in the sky for a few brief moments. And then like magic, it drifted down into his hand and he caught it with his right index finger and thumb. He admired his handiwork for a moment, and then after smiling, he turned towards Bunny and extended his arm. He held the flower up and presented it to Bunny, and Bunny's ears fell down as his eyebrows rose. Neither was sure what to make of the gesture, but Bunny still reached out and grabbed it.

"What…what's this for?" asked the confused creature. Jack huffed and brushed his hair back with his left hand, then he hunched over and kicked his staff around between his feet.

"I don't know. Just a peace offering, I guess." Jack leaned back and threw up his staff and caught it, and then he stretched out in the grass next to Bunny. In a state of confusion, Bunny twirled the flower around in his hands and admired the craftsmanship that had gone into it. It was evident that Jack had spent years perfecting his frosting skills. He'd been good at that.

In a three-sixty motion the little artifact spun, and as Bunny looked at it, the more he started to feel his chest tighten. His dominating ears perked and they flushed with blood, and before he had time to consider the possibilities of what was happening, he realized that his cheeks had begun to flow with a revealing shade of pink. He didn't want to say it aloud, but he realized that by some means, this gift had caused him to blush. Bunny panicked. He checked to his left to make sure that Jack hadn't noticed, and then he violently huffed.

"I s'pose it's nice. Very fine work, Jack. But uh, I'm thinking it's unnecessary." Jack blinked in a bewildered manner, and then, without sitting up, turned his head towards Bunny and raised his eyebrow.

"It's a gift Bunny, technically just a flower I guess. If you don't want it, you can always throw it away." The unfortunate part of all this was that in Bunny's mind, he didn't want to throw it away. It had been a sweet little gesture, and as much as he didn't want to accept any sort of gift from Jack, there was something about this rose that made him feel odd, unusually odd. Bunny stood up and began to take small steps down the hill on which they laid, and as he did he sniffed the frozen rose. It was bitterly cold, but still retained its alluring scent. It was like there was an early morning frost in the air nipping at his nose, but yet the sunlight still shone on the nearby gardens in which it dwelled. "Bunny?" He heard Jack's voice break him out of his entranced state, and his ears collapsed like falling stars. His eyes widened, and then he scoffed.

"See here, snowflake…I'm not sure who ya take me for, but isn't this the kinda thing ya give to a sheila, or a bloke?" Jack felt a small tingling in his chest, and it irritated him like flies buzzing about by one's ear. He'd been disappointed, hurt even, but he couldn't seem to understand why. He'd given Bunny permission to be rid of it if he so desired, but he didn't actually expect Bunny to do so. After all, it was just a gift: a harmless one at that. But then again, what it really as insignificant as Jack led himself to believe?

The winter-touched guardian began to shift uncomfortably where he sat. He had had it fixated in his mind that the gesture was kind, and that Bunny had no reason to rebuff it, and yet there he was shooting him down like some kind of messenger pigeon. Jack was unsure of what to make of his predicament, as he'd been somewhat damaged by Bunny's claim, but he tried to remain steadfast, and instead faced Bunny head on. The Easter Bunny stared down Jack with a fierce glare, and his once gentle grip on the rose now looked malefic, as if he was going to crush the token in his hand.

"Uh, well," began Jack. "I guess, but it was just meant to be a nice gesture. I didn't think about it too much. I just figured,"

"What, huh? What did ya figure? That it was alright to casually hand me this and all of a sudden we'd be in the clear?" Bunny was confusing Jack, and even though neither was yelling, both got the intense feeling that their inner eruptions were starting to boil.

"Bunny, why are you making this so complicated? You're blowing this way out of proportion, and I'm still not even sure what exactly we're talking about here." Bunny's eyes narrowed as Jack finished, and even though Bunny wasn't trying to start a fight, it took him a second to realize that that was precisely what he'd been doing.

"I'm talking 'bout things like this!" and he held up the rose and pointed to the iced floor where Jack had tripped him. Both perceived it as harmless, despite Bunny having some mild outrage pent up. "Ya trip me, and then present me with this bugger, and now all of a sudden we're friends again? That's not how I work, snowflake. In the outbreak, old grudges die hard."

"What grudges?" said a baffled Jack. "I've pulled tons of pranks on you since becoming a guardian and you've never reacted like this. What's gotten into you, Bunny?" The feeling the air grew heavy, like a slowly thickening moisture heralding an oncoming rainfall. Bunny wanted an answer, and his heated tones were causing the two to burst like overflowing dams. Jack on the other hand was nearing his breaking point, and simply because he was speaking to Bunny, he'd arrived in half the time.

"Nothing's gotten into me, Jack. I'm trying to figure out…this…" as he finished his sentence, he held up the rose and placed his hand on his chest. Bunny's heartbeat had raced forward to lightning fast speed, and while Jack couldn't feel it for himself, he could certainly hear it from where he sat. "Why is this happening? Was it something ya did to this flower? Are ya trying to make me look like a late-bloomer?"

"What? No. Bunny," he was interrupted by the stressed rabbit.

"No, snowflake. I can't do this. I'm not going to fall into that trap. In the outback, blokes who falls into trap holes never get out, and I refuse to become croc bait. Take back ya flower, I've no need for the thing…" He extended his paw, and held out the beautiful, multi-seasonal treasure. It hovered in the air as it dangled in Bunny's paw, and it looked like it was crying out for help. To say that Jack was hurt as he watched Bunny practically strangle it before him would be quite the understatement. But before Jack had a real chance to respond, Bunny's incessant tapping of his foot irked Jack in a way that he hadn't known in quite some time. "Take it, Jack!"

"Fine then! If it's causing you that many problems, forget it!" This brief exchange was the first time either of them yelled. It wasn't a good feeling on both sides, and even though they regretted it, neither party confessed. Jack manhandled the rose from Bunny's hand, and Bunny watched analytically as his ears twitched with nerves. As fast as Bunny's heartbeat was, it became even faster as he watched Jack's expression turn from forlorn to belligerent.

"What's the problem?" Taunted Bunny. "If it's so precious to ya, give it to someone else!" He huffed and stomped his foot.

With that, Jack snorted like a rabid animal and stomped off down the hill on which they stood. As he reached the bottom he turned back around to Bunny and relished in the confusion that found its home on Bunny's face. In a last moment of harassment, Jack scoffed and then smirked, only to then turn around and fling the then solid flower in the air. Bunny's tail stopped flickering as he watched it rise into the springtime veil that surrounded them, and then in the blink of an eye, Jack flew up to meet it, and then spun around with his staff and shattered it into hordes of pieces. Bunny's heart dropped as he watched the many fragments of his thoughtful gift fly in all directions. To and fro they when and tore streaks of despondency through the once serene atmosphere. The sound it made was deafening, and Bunny's ears had never been so violated. Jack faced Bunny with anguish of his own.

"There," he said. "Hope you feel better." Jack's voice dripped with melancholy and rage, and his gait seemed off as he used his staff to soar up and out of the warren.

Bunny stopped tapping his foot, for he found that he had become too rattled. Sulking in misperception, Bunny moped all the way back to his own private corner of the warren; there he found his bed and personal space. It was the only area that had nothing to do with Easter, but now instead of hope, he'd brought in with him dejection. The feeling trigger by the flower that Jack had given him scared Bunny, and it caused him to unwittingly lash out. However, Bunny acknowledged that it was likely he'd been a bit too harsh. He then curled up onto his bed and silently whimpered as the season of hope encompassed the world, but had regrettably left him far behind.


	2. Chapter 2 of 3

A/N: I'm sure you're all wondering how this could possibly turn out for the two of them, but I suppose that's something you'll have to wait to find out. Believe me when I say I'm just as excited about this as the lot of you. Stay posted everyone, for the climactic conclusion to this Jackrabbit three-shot will be posted next Friday. Steadfast dear readers, we're halfway done! And as always, thanks for reading.

With Spring, Hope Comes

Chapter 2 of 3

Jack tapped his staff on the window as the bitter air from the outside crept in. All along the glass, where he'd been making contact with his staff, there were streaks of ice growing across the pane, and they trailed down the sheet of glass like fungal spores. Outside, Jack watched the North Pole weather at its most brilliant. He hadn't expected it to be as nice as it was that day, as typically when one is feeling down, the weather somehow reflects it. But instead, Jack Frost was treated to a fantastic sunny day, complete with golden rays raining down on him like moonlight at night. He saw the fresh layers of powdered snow on the surface of the landscape blow about in the wind, causing gentle veils of white crystals to rise and drift away. In a way, it was almost exactly like how he'd been feeling about Bunny.

No matter how much Jack tried to make sense of what had happened, he just couldn't seem to make any part of it viable. He still wasn't entirely sure what had happened that was so instigating on Bunny's part. He'd just given his magical friend a gift, one guardian to another. At the time, Jack saw no other ulterior motive to his actions, and while he pondered it, he found that he was shaking his leg. It was bouncing on the wooden windowsill where he sat as he looked out into the arctic wastelands, the place that North called home. He exhaled, and he saw his breath condensate on the window. Jack, not wanting to use magic for everything, reached up and drew in the condensation a picture of a rabbit with exceptionally large ears. Jack smiled as he finished the drawing, and then he sat back against the wall and cradled his staff. As he did this, he was interrupted, and then the door leading into the toy room unlocked, and then it swung open.

"My yetis told me you arrived." said North as he slammed the frail door behind him. "What is problem, Jack?"

"The problem…?" began the agitated guardian. "The problem is that I thought Bunny and I were finally on good terms, and then he had to go and ruin it with his freak attack!" Jack's voice lingering with frustration, and he slapped his knee in a small attempt to vent some of his anger. North placed his hands on his hips and laughed.

"Well, I would've liked some notice."

"Sorry, it's just," the confused spirit tried to say. Jack heard North's overpowering footsteps as he strolled across the toy room and came up to the sill on which Jack sat. North sat further down, and then he huffed and lost himself in thought. Jack was sure that he wasn't going to be much help, and then he saw the bearded man's faced illuminate.

"I've thought of something, Jack," he instigated. "What if you talk Bunny about it, hm? I'm sure he will come around." Neither of the two white-haired males knew if North was being serious. He acted as if Jack hadn't already tried that. The fresher one of them wanted to stand up and stomp off in a huff, but instead curled up against the window even more tightly. He crossed his arms and bundled up, placing his staff on the floor. He then rolled to the left a little bit and forced himself to looked away from North and stare further out the window.

"Is that meant to be helpful? You really don't think I tried that?"

North wasn't offended, he was far too stout for that. Instead, his mighty hands returned to his chin, and they supported his thick head and weighty beard as he thought on a different solution. North wanted to try and be as helpful as he possible could, since he firmly believed that guardians shouldn't be fighting among themselves. Many different solutions came to mind, but none of them seemed to be good enough for the exact situation in which Jack found himself. The large man stood up and turned around. Facing Jack, he smiled and then placed a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it. Jack was confused, and found it uncomfortable.

"Then why not just tell me about it, hm? Talking always best."

Jack shifted awkwardly as he contorted his body to spin back around and face North. He sat up and crossed his legs into a square-like shape. His hands found their way to his knees, and then he sighed and let his chest expand. He ran his fingers through his white hair, and then rested his own hand on his shoulder, the one North had massaged. As he began, North watched fatherly, and readied his gut to take on what was about to be said.

"I'm just trying to make sense of it all. I just gave him a flower, that's it. And then, all of a sudden, he starts freaking out, acting like I inadvertently treated him like a 'sheila,' I believed he called it. I'm not even sure what that's supposed to me. Did he think I was being flirtatious with him or something? I've tried putting myself in Bunny's place, but no matter what way I look at it, I just can't seem to understand what happened. I really thought that it was just a nice gesture."

Throughout Jack's monologue North was rubbing his chin. He stood there and pondered Jack's words, and began to notice a few things that Jack had gone blind to. For one, Jack was fidgeting the entire time, and the more he talked, the more he noticed a passionate red growing on his face. He also couldn't say the name 'Bunny' without batting his eyes like a schoolgirl. North removed his hand from his chin and then walked over to a table behind him. He then picked up a toy airplane as Jack watched him. North spun the propeller and then threw it into the air, causing it to fly around with a childish buzz emanating from the magical engine. North chuckled as he watched it, and then he gestured to it so that Jack was paying it mind.

"Jack, do you remember when I told you about wonder?" Jack nodded. "Good, then I don't have to repeat myself." and he cackled. The newer guardian frowned, but he dare not scoff in North's presence. "Anyway," the northern giant of a man continued, "What I didn't tell you is that wonder exists in more than what you can see. Wonder can be felt, too." North walked over to Jack and picked up his hand. He then placed it over his own thundering heart. "Can you feel that Jack?" He nodded as he felt North's heartbeat. "Exactly, that is a kind of wonder all on its own." Both stood there trying to settle in, but Jack removed his hand from North's chest and stood up, and then he reached up and caught the plane that was flying over their heads.

"Say for instance," Jack started, "That the wonder in question was a more curious kind." As Jack spoke, he started to swirl the propeller of the plane around in his fingers. North watched him with an intrigued look, but before any assumptions were made, he was stood there before Jack with a nonbiased persona. He was starting to get the impression of what exactly the problem was, but he wanted to get more information before he could begin to inference. "Like it was a type of wonder that doesn't come along very often, and it confuses you so much, mainly because you don't know what it is, that you're unsure of how to react." Jack set the airplane down and looked up at North. He was staring at him with a raised eyebrow and risen shoulders. North's nostrils flares, and Jack sudden felt inferior.

"Is possible. What makes you think this?" asked North.

Jack stood up from the windowsill and began to walk around the room in a forlorn manner. He kicked the toys on the ground smoothly as he hobbled by. By talking about what had happened, with Bunny, the only thing that he was doing was confusing himself. He'd tried to ask North about a special kind of wonder, but by doing that, the mind-bending had only increased. Jack had more questions than answers, and while emotionally he was starting to feel better from talking to North, mentally he was nearing the breaking point. The worse part of it was that it was a certain kind of breaking point; it was the kind that crept up on a person slowly, and leisurely gnawed away at their sanity like some kind of parasitic leech. There were still so many questions that Jack had, and he knew beforehand that North wasn't going to have the answers to all of them. All he could to as he drudged around was think, and there was very little that resulted from that. After circling the room once, Jack perked his head up and turned back around and faced North.

"What makes me think this is because in the all centuries I've known Bunny, I've never seen him act like that. Not about anything. Come to think of it, I've very rarely seen him act affectionately in any regards. You know, expect that little girl that found her way into his warren." Jack's head dropped and he thought, and then he had a realization. "Can I ask you something?" North nodded, and Jack had his permission. "Has Bunny ever," it was somewhat embarrassing to ask, but if North knew the answer it could be valuable knowledge. "Been with someone?"

North was just as baffled by the question as Jack was to ask it. The gift giver pondered the inquiry, and then after some thought, he came to his conclusion. "Actually, no." Both were surprised by the response. "Now that you bring it up, Bunny's never mentioned anything about that. No girlfriends, wives, nothing."

"Then that's the reason why." The finger that Jack waved in the air shook victoriously, and even though he didn't scream or holler, his voice rung with a glorious tone. Jack was smiling, and he seemed to have already come to his resolution, but North wasn't quite so satisfied.

"Uh, Jack?"

"Think about it for a second," demanded Jack, and North listened. "He was baffled by the flower I gave him, and you say he's never mentioned anything about past partners or anything of the sort, right?" The guardian nodded to his younger companion. "Then that's why he started acting out. He's not used to receiving gifts in that manner, so it means that he must've felt some kind of affection that he didn't understand. Therefore, he got scared, and lashed out to try and make it go away…because he didn't like the way it felt."

"Is likely," started North. "But now that you know this, what do you intend to do about it?" Jack hadn't thought about that, and North confirmed this by the look of delusion that appeared on Jack's face after having asked. Both stood there in an eerie silence, and then North giggled. "Think about for bit, Jack. But consider this, maybe is not Bunny's feelings you should be trying to understand. After all, why else would you come here?" North patted Jack on the head and walked past him and he went out the door, leaving a disordered Jack behind.

…

Down in the warren, Bunny lay motionless on his bed. He'd been resting in his burrow on the furthest side of the warren for several days, and since he wasn't used to remaining idle for long periods of time, his back was starting to ache. As he rolled over, he began to feel something pulling at his lower muscles, and when he reached around to rub it, it started to sting. Bunny groaned, as feeling was highly unpleasant. In retaliation, Bunny rolled over and got out of his bed and stretched out his aggravating spine. He brought up his hands to his head and fidgeted with his fingers. Even though he was a rabbit, he was most certainly not the kind of animal that enjoyed hibernating, even if it had only been for a few days. But to Bunny, that was more than enough rest time, and he was ready to begin preparation for the following year's Easter. Stroking his big ears, Bunny walked out of his quarters and into the sunny expanses of his massive warren: his home.

There was a bridge with a stream flowing under it that led past his burrow, and Bunny crossed it with a few short steps. It wasn't that he was walking incredibly fast, he was just forced to take big steps to avoid tripping over his large feet. He rubbed the back of his head and yawned as he cross over onto the other side and began padding his way across the grassy fields. And then in a flash, a sharpening wind blew through the warren and blew back his ears and ruffled up his fur. He moaned in distress, and then he began trying to pat down his own fur as he continued. Bunny thought that it felt weird to have small gusts of wind blow through the warren like that, but it was either wind with the occasional bursts, or no wind at all. For Bunny, he much rather preferred the former. He slicked his ears back, and walked with them down as he strolled up a flower covered hill and entered the tunnel that lead to the botanical gardens where he grew all his essential plants.

Through the dark tunnel he went, and when he came out on the other side, he was met with a large array of colors and spectrums. Over to the south he saw that his monoliths had been attending to the powdering flowers, and to his immediate west there were dozens of freshly made eggs marching down towards the rainbow river to begin the year's coloration process. All seemed to be going well, and Bunny stood up proudly and watched as all his little helpers did their jobs effortlessly. He was lucky to have them, and they'd gotten into the swing of things so systematically that they'd begun the process ahead of time. Bunny tried to walk down and meet with his assistance as they worked, but he was abruptly stopped.

It was a small tapping on his shoulder, and as Bunny frowned and felt the confusion seeping in, he was surprised to see a small man standing behind him as he turned around. "Oh, Sandy." He said with delight, and bewilderment. "G'day, mate. I wasn't expecting ya."

Bunny predicted Sandy would return the greeting, but instead he pointed to something beyond the two of them and smirked with a face of utter compliance. As Bunny turned around, he saw what Sandy had been pointing at, and he watched as a group of eggs, a different group from the ones he'd seen earlier, ran rampant throughout the field and by the coloring rives that ran before him. Bunny was shocked to see this, as normally annoyances like those were handled by his monoliths, but yet this time they weren't. He gestured for Sandy to wait where he stood, and then he quickly bounded over the grass and flowers to the eggs and scooped them up like daisies. Without wasting a second, he hurried them over to the shoreline of the river and gentle plunked them into it one by one. Into the drink they flowed, and once Bunny was finished cleaning up the mess, he got a hold of one of his monoliths and scolded them. Since they were made of stone and couldn't show any physical emotions, all he could do was hope he got his point across and that the large stone egg lumbering 'round his warren would do better. With that matter settled, Bunny actually felt somewhat embarrassed to return to Sandy's side. After all, Sandy was the oldest and wisest of the five guardians, even though his communicative skills were limited to dreamy visualizations forming over his head. Nonetheless, Bunny hopped over to Sandy and steeled himself for any sort of fun that was going to be had against him. As he steadied himself, Sandy waggled his finger, like he'd done to Pitch, and Bunny plopped onto the soil beneath them.

"Sorry ya had to see that, mate. I don't know what coulda happened there. They're normally so reliable, the lot of 'em." While trying to figure out what the issue was, Bunny noticed that the sunlight overhead, the same that'd been cascading down on he and Jack several days ago, was starting to fade from the warren. He assumed it was because he'd gotten up late and the sun was setting. At least, that was his initial thought until Sandy got his attention.

Above the Sandman's head, he formed a small series of images with his powers that manifested into several mistakes made by Bunny's helpers. One such being the trip he'd just endured. Others included malnourished plants, spiny rock beds, and even the lack-there-of sunlight that Bunny had just noticed. The Guardian of Hope wanted to be surprised, but he'd kept in mind who exactly he was speaking to. "I'd no idea, Sandy. I thought it was just one little thing, but all of this…?"

Before Bunny could continue, Sandy forced his attention back to his images. With a firm gaze on the voided space above Sandy's head, he conjured up an image of what looked like an egg, but there was something different about it. All along the side of it, there were small lines forming, almost as if Sandy was forcibly making it crack. The magical man conjuring this image had a smile on his face, and Bunny couldn't seem to understand why he was so gleeful about the imagery. There was a clear indication that Sandy was trying to tell him something, and after a few moments of pondering, Bunny believed he had received the message.

"Alright, I get ya, mate. I've been pretty lousy lately. But it's not my fault; normally, I can rely on these blokes. I don't usually have to watch 'em so closely." The message that Sandy had been trying to convey was that as of then, Bunny wasn't doing too well at bringing Easter around. On an average day, every movement made by Bunny's crew would be flawless, but for some reason that Bunny couldn't understand, he and his crew were starting to fall behind. In a place where one is given all the tools, and already possesses all the talent to make it all come together, work piles up fast if it's not done. Sandy had succeeded in reminding his distraught friend of this, and then he, like North, rested his hands on his hips as Bunny tried to explain himself. "I know that these blokes are supposed to be directly connected to me, and that anything I do or say is reflected onto them. So it's odd that they'd start making mistakes. Doesn't happen too often, if ever, actually."

Sandy patted Bunny's shoulder and got his attention back to his little lightshow over his head. Before him he strung together an image of what looked like Bunny's head. The rabbit was confused, and he felt his ears droop behind him, and then as if the situation was already confounding enough, little birds began flying around the image of Bunny's head. Sandy smiled and winked at Bunny in a friendly manner, but the overgrown mammal had anything but clarity on his hands. He began to tap his large foot uncomfortably, and it wasn't long before a predictable crossing of the arms followed.

"Sorry, mate. I don't follow."

Like a locomotive, sand-like smoke vented from Sandy's ears. He was clearly frustrated, mainly because he had the strongest feeling that Bunny was deliberately lying to him. Both of them knew that he was upset, and all Sandy was trying to do was to get him to acknowledge that. It had been the reason why he summoned up a picture of a confused Bunny with little birdies flying around his head. Instead, trying to cool off, Sandy gruffly pointed at Bunny and crossed his arms while frowning. For an instance, Bunny thought the Sandman was trying to purposefully mimic him. However, he started wobbling his head and spun his fingers in opposite directions and let his eyes go loose. Bunny watched with a raised eyebrow, and the more uncomfortable he became, the more he felt his fingers reaching up to his shoulders. After Sandy did this for a little while, he violently stabbed his finger through the air and locked it in on Bunny. His reasoning couldn't have been blunter, and Bunny didn't appreciate it.

"What? Ya think I've gone whacka?" Similarly to before, Bunny felt incredibly insulted when he realized that Sandy was trying to imply that he was, in a word, confused. Where once his ears were down, now they shot upwards and flushed with blood. He was mad, furious even. "Ya have no right to be comin' into my warren and start talkin' to me like that, mate! As if I wasn't already having enough problems with Jack, now I gotta…" Sandy stopped him. He then made a motion with his hand indicating him to go back a few steps. Bunny realized that he had mentioned something about Jack in his last sentence. He had slipped up. "Oh, uh," said Bunny as he became to feel the heat in his cheeks spike. "What about the snowflake? We had a bit of a spat, is all."

The eldest guardian used images over his head to try and ask Bunny if he wanted to talk about it, but instead Bunny turned around and tried to walk off. "No thanks, mate. That's a bit personal." Sandy wasn't having it. He knew that something was up, and he was about to ensure that something was done about it. Sandy diluted himself into the air and reformed in front of the wayward Bunny. The guardian was surprised to see him, but instead of waiting for him to say something, Sandy stuck out his hand and forced Bunny to stop walking. And then, he formed an image of a sleeping rabbit over his head, and then this was followed by the materialization of a stick. Bunny was confused, but as he looked at it more closely, he noticed that the stick was curved, just like Jack's. No, as a matter of fact, upon closer inspection, Bunny has the startling realization that it was Jack's. Sandy, _the_ Sandman, had formed images that conveyed what Bunny had been dreaming about. To Bunny's discomfiture, he was plainly displaying to the entire warren that over the last few nights, he'd been dreaming about Jack! Bunny lunged at Sandy to try and make the images disappear once he realized what he was looking at, but Sandy was too quick and side-stepped him. Bunny wobbled, and he almost fell over. As he angrily turned around, he scowled at Sandy and pointed at him. "Don't make me use me boomerangs, mate. Ya just put those away, and no one gets hurt." He was completely serious, but Sandy was far too busy having fun to pay Bunny's petit threats any mind.

This little game of cat-and-mouse went on for a few extra minutes, and Bunny was never the wiser. Endlessly he tried getting the best of Sandy, to make those images disappear, but he couldn't outwit the Sandman. Sandy was always ten steps ahead, and the more Bunny tried to succeed, the more he found that he was fatiguing himself. After a point, Sandy took to the offensive and turned Bunny around, and then he forced him to look at the animations that Sandy had over his head. He wanted Bunny to acknowledge what he'd been dreaming about, and before any immediate result could be seen, Bunny started to scream. "Stop it! Stop it right now!" His desperate attempt didn't fall on deaf ears, and Sandy let up a bit to give Bunny some space. "I get it, okay?" said the defeated rabbit. "I've been thinking a lot about the snowflake, even dreaming about him. But so what? What does that matter to ya? Or to anyone?" Sandy shook his finger, and then he shot out a stream of magical sand from his fingertips. It trailed through the sky like a ranching cowboy in the west, and once it passed by Bunny's face, he was dumbfounded by what came next. Sandy may not have been able to speak, but he could still get his points across better than any of the other guardians. "But…but…" whimpered the Easter Bunny. Sandy stopped him and let him come closer to him. Above his head formed a light bulb, and then it was followed by an image of the two of them, Bunny and Jack, talking it out. Sandy was trying to tell Bunny that if you care for someone, it's best not to kept it bottled up. Bunny wanted to listen, but he just wasn't sure about what he'd do.

"But what would I say to the snowflake? I imagine he's spewin' 'bout now." The uncertainty was more present in Bunny's face at that moment than when he'd first become a guardian several centuries ago. To Sandy, though he felt bad about admitting it, it was sort of like a sitcom. He knew what was happening, and he wanted to see it play out. Yet, at the same time, it was unofficially his job to keep the other guardians in check, and just like for North, if there was trouble a'brewing, he'd be the first on the scene to correct it. Sandy patted Bunny's head like some kind of house pet, and then he smiled softly like friends do. Bunny was expecting some big piece of advice or inspiration to form over Sandy's head, but instead the tiny golden man only shrugged his shoulder. Bunny's face devolved into a bland expression of self-degradation. "Gee, thanks mate." Sandy removed his hand from Bunny's face and backed away from him. Bunny started getting the impression that he was going to leave, but to his surprised, he didn't evaporate into the air and disperse just yet.

It appeared as if there was one last thing that Sandy needed to say, and Bunny stood there trying his hardest to ensure that no matter what it was that Sandy said, he'd be ready. Unfortunately for Bunny, that was quite a bit more easily thought than done. As he tried to build up his inner defenses, waves of doubt and fright started to seep in through his nerves. It was like a tsunami was barreling its way towards the shoreline that was his composure. The build-up was starting to become too much for him, and he would've panicked had it not been for the way that Sandy began the remainder of the conversation. He waved his hands and cast out some extra sand than he had previously, but unlikely before, it rose in the air and swirled around like faeries dancing in the springtime breeze. Bunny watched it in awe, as Sandy's powers still amazed him even after all the centuries he'd known him. Above them, in much larger shapes than before, Sandy spared no expense in creating what looked to be life-sized models of Bunny and Jack. While Bunny was confused, he watched as the sand versions of himself and Jack bounded along, and he noticed that both of them were smiling. There was no sort of contact between the two, and Bunny felt his shoulders drop as harmony came over him. The sand came down like rain and then disintegrated, and the ethereal versions of himself and his fellow guardian trailed off into the rays of sunlight coming down into the warren. Bunny was thunderstruck, but he understood the message. If he wanted something, especially if it had to do with Jack, it'd be probably best to at least try and talk to him. And for Bunny, difficult as it may have been, the first thing he needed to do was apologize.

"So, what now?" Bunny meekly asked the Sandman. Sandy smiled and flung his sand towards Bunny, and his own ideas began to spawn. Bunny had several thoughts racing through his mind, but only one seemed to be the golden, crowning idea that he sought. Bunny wanted to thank Sandy for all the help that he had provided, but before he could say anything, Sandy had already turned to go. "Wait, mate!" Bunny said, reaching out to the guardian.

The little fellow only grinned and kept walking, that is after he turned around once. Bunny was confused, but Sandy gave him a thumbs up and then kept walking. In mere moments afterwards, the Guardian of Dreams had faded. Bunny knew what he had to do, he just wasn't sure how he was going to see it through. With Sandy's help it all started to make sense, and he finally had the breakthrough that he needed. Finally at ease, at least for now, and confident in his psyche, Bunny returned to commanding his helpers in preparation for Easter. All the while, to Bunny, the sunlight no longer seemed faded after all.


	3. Chapter 3 of 3

A/N: Here we are, ladies and gentlemen. We've finally arrived at the conclusion of my first _Rise of the Guardians_ story, " _With Spring, Hope Comes_." I'd like to thank all for you for the enthusiasm, but frankly, I know that you don't care. You just want to see how this ends. Also, if you'd be so kind as to check out my friend, Humble Tales. Lastly, I apologize for the three week delay, it won't happen again!

With Spring, Hope Comes

Chapter 3 of 3

If anxiety was a virus, Bunny would've been completely infected. As he bounded through his tunnels, fast approaching his destination, he felt his nerves beginning to get the best of him, and it made his ears twitch sporadically. The air rushing past him caught his eye, and he blinked viciously as he hopped up out of his tunnel and landed firmly on the grassy ground before the Tooth Palace. He appreciated that Tooth had offered to be a good host, so in light of his frustration, he hadn't once forgotten him manners. Bunny huffed, and then he continued his travels until he came to the foot of the large building nestled in the mountain. He'd heard that Tooth had also brought Jack there as well.

"Great."

The word slipped from Bunny's mouth at the thought, and couldn't have been more sarcastic. Bunny walked into the Tooth Palace, and the faeries surrounding him immediately alerted Tooth to his arrival. She sped through the dwelling like a torpedo, and was anxious to talk to Bunny.

"Bunny," she said erratically. "I'm so glad you could make it. Jack's already here. He's waiting for you."

The oversized rabbit snorted and placed his hands squarely on his hips. "Can't believe I actually agreed to this." Tooth disregarded his statement and escorted him up the palace and onto the top floor.

As he walked up, his ears fell back, the same as they had numerous times over the last several days. It made Bunny start to feel very awkward, and he was trying him best to try and keep the fear and agitation inside him from running what was supposed to be a clarifying experience. Tooth could sense the discomfort growing in him, but luckily for Bunny, and arguably for Jack, Tooth had a secret plan in the works to dispel the tension. It was something that she'd been concocting ever since she found out that she'd be hosting the two of them, and she was eager to try it. With this confidence, she wasted no time in bringing Bunny to the top of her palace where they both saw Jack sitting on the edge with his staff.

Bunny blushed upon seeing him, and he felt a pit form in his stomach. However, he frowned and crossed his arms with denial as Tooth flew in front of him to get his attention. Jack stood up following this, and when he turned around, both Bunny and Tooth could see his shoulders drop. He was nervous, as Bunny was, and with one last exhale he tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever was about to happen. Jack blinked and meandered awkwardly over to Bunny.

"Hey, Bunny…" he said with a fluctuant voice. "I can't help but wonder how many eggs you've painted in the last several days."

If Bunny's face wasn't red under his fur before, it certainly was then. His ears shot back up, as they'd still been down, and his feet began to shift. Tooth was starting to see the stress that Bunny was under from such a simple question, and it made her start to wonder if the issues between the two were worse than she'd previously thought. Either way, she remained neutral until she could at least get a glimpse of with what she was working. "That's no business of yours, snowflake. Not unless ya have done somethin' in the last few days that concerns me."

Jack shook his head. "Nope, nothing. I've been busy bringing fun to children. Remember, that's kind of my job now. I also paid North a visit. I hear you got a visit from the Sandman as well."

"And what of it, hm?" Bunny got highly defensive, and everyone on-looking was confused. Thusly, Tooth decided that it was time for her to bring out her incantation, least of sorts.

Both Bunny and Jack watched her fly away from them, and when she came back, she was carrying a small container of teeth. With her was Baby Tooth, and she was also carrying a box of teeth. Baby Tooth waved to Jack as she handed Tooth the box, and then she flew away to be with her friends. With that, Tooth spun in circles around both of the guardians, and handed each one of them a box. Jack looked at it, and realized that was similar to the boxes that contain the memories of children, but wasn't quite the same. Bunny found this too, and then they both looked at Tooth with confused gazes.

"Tooth," asked Bunny, "What's this for?"

"For the memories of course, of you two." Neither had the slightest clue of what she was talking about, but before they had the chance to ask, Tooth clicked open the box that Bunny was holding and watched him stare into the tiny treasure trove. "These boxes are special. Normally, the memories of children are stored in these, but these ones actually have all of our own memories in them." Jack was more surprised than Bunny, not to say he wasn't surprised. "I've pulled them out just for you guys. I know that you've been fighting for some reason lately, and I just wanted to remind you of what's really important." Her explanation hadn't been very clear, most certainly not to Bunny, but she wasn't about to linger any longer. He chuckled softly, and then she patted Bunny on the shoulder. "I'll leave you guys to it then, I hope you work it out." And then Tooth flew away. Bunny was left bewildered, and Jack scared.

It was evident that both were unaware of what needed to be done as they stood across from each other. Bunny tinkered around with the container of teeth in his hand, but he couldn't seem to figure out what exactly he was supposed to be doing with it. Jack, while he'd used one before, still wasn't entirely sure was Tooth was trying to accomplish by showing them their memories. Both however were well aware that Tooth had been trying to diffuse the tension that lingered in the air around them, but the second she left, both felt it quickly return.

Bunny, ever the aggressive one, put the box of teeth on the ground and crossed his arms as he looked at Jack. He watched the white-haired lad swing his staff around as he fiddled with the box of teeth, and even though his intentions were fruitful, he couldn't help but snicker. Jack heard this, and like Bunny, he became oddly defensive. "What?" he asked him gruffly. "It's not like you're having a piece of cake with this tooth-box-thing!"

"True, mate. I never said I wasn't. I just think it's funny to watch ya make that face." Bunny kept snickering, and it soon evolved into a full on laugh. "I must admit Jack, before that whole deal with Pitch, I really thought ya didn't have any redeeming qualities, but I think that just singlehandedly changed my mind!" Bunny grasped his side as the laugh erupted straight from his belly, not bothering to wonder why he thought it was so funny to start. Never once before had he found one of Jack's expressions so hilarious, and for seemingly no reason. Bunny hadn't seemed to notice as he continued to humorously vociferate, but Jack had caught wind of it. He frowned and did his standard tilted head stare. He watched as Bunny's mouth opened so that he could breathe in the midst of all his bellowing, and once he did, more babble came out.

"I don't follow, Bunny. You've never reacted this way around me before." Then Jack had a flashy realization. He'd said something almost identical to Bunny several days prior when they'd first fought. In essence, Bunny was doing a lot of things for the first time that Jack had never seen. Jack started to wonder if there was a specific reason, but Bunny seemed to still be recovering from his deep belly laugh. "So," he said, "How's the prep for Easter going?"

Bunny wiped his eyes out and sighed. "I've not laughed like that in ages." The deific rodent inhaled vigilantly, and then he stared right as Jack as he answered. "In regards to ya question, snowflake, it's been going fine. No hitches, nothing of the sort. Sort wondering why you're asking, though. Not like you've ever cared before."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, things have been very odd between us lately. I've been seeing a lot of firsts from you, as well."

"And I from ya too, Jack." The Guardian of Fun was baffled by this statement. He knew for a fact that he'd observed some very odd behaviors coming from Bunny over the course of those few days, but he didn't once stop to think of any strange behaviors that he himself had committed. Jack was curious, and not entirely in the creative way.

"What does that mean? What firsts are you talking about?" This was spoken loudly, not terribly loudly anyway, but still audible enough to make one of Bunny's ear twitch.

There wasn't any uncomfortable shifting on Bunny's part, least not then. He'd done it before, but for some reason, upon Jack asking this question, nothing seemed to flow as it once did. Bunny didn't have to think awfully hard to come up with some examples, and he'd be sure to spew them. To Bunny, it was like painting eggs, for it felt natural. While Jack stared at him determinately, Bunny smirked, and his eyebrow rose.

"Well, snowflake," the rabbit began, "First, ya have never sought to give me a present before. Nor have ya ever thought to give me any kind of token signifying our friendship…that is…if we even still have one." Jack was shocked and hurt to hear this, and to him, it felt like someone had just melted his icy heart.

"What are you talking about, Bunny? Of course we're still friends!"

"Are we?"

Jack was at a loss. He didn't quite understand what it was that Bunny was trying to say. Aside from his oddly placed feelings, which he still couldn't quite identify, not he was being bombarded by a barrage of questions that he felt he couldn't answer. He'd been under the impression that their friendship hadn't been damaged, and that what had happened was merely a spat. Jack listened on, for he felt he couldn't say anything to Bunny after that.

"Look, snowflake," and Jack listened intently, "I just don't know what our problem has been. Maybe it's just I've never been given a gift before, especially not from another bloke like ya. However, I'm starting to think it's something else."

"Something else?" inquired Jack.

"Yeah, like that thing ya see in those young sheilas walking down the road in the springtime after Easter." Jack was on board, but now he was just starting to feel confused. He'd been with Bunny up until the point about this odd tension having a different cause, but now he was starting to make verbal similes that were utterly foreign to Jack ears. The frosted lad tried to make sense of it, but before he had the chance to respond, his discord was noticed. "Ya ain't with me?" asked Bunny. Jack shook his head. "What I mean is, I think I may already know what's going on here, but before I know for sure, I just need to know something. And that something can only be answered by ya!" he said and pointed to Jack.

If Jack was confused before, now he was even more perplexed. It was as if Bunny had started talking in riddles, and the answers were even more elusive than a straight man in Compton. What was even more confusing to Jack was that Bunny just said that he thought that he already knew what the issue was. If that was the case, then why would be talking Jack around in circles? It was all very confusing to say the least, and the fact that Bunny was acting so nonchalantly irritated Jack even more. Jack was still holding his box of teeth, and then he started to realize something.

"I think we need to look at these," said Jack.

Bunny stopped and looked over at his own little canister of teeth. It took him a second to realize it, but the box didn't contain his own teeth, but instead Jack's. He looked at it strangely, and the confusion was beginning to set in. He wanted to call out to Jack and let him know about this, as it must've been some kind of mistake. However, as Bunny thought about it, the more he began to realize, perhaps it wasn't a mistake after all. Jack seemed oddly happy to hold a box full of Bunny's memories, and while Bunny didn't exactly feel the same way, he assumed that there must've been some kind of method to Tooth's madness. Not wanting to waste any more time, Bunny clicked open the box, and before him, he saw not teeth, but white light.

Before him flashed a bright strobe of beams that rained down into his sightline. It was odd, like some kind of light spectrum, and then he heard echoes of Jack's voice crashing down into his ears. It was blurry, but he could see the image of the first time that he had met Jack. It was cold, midwinter, and they seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. The town was rugged, one could almost see it as rustic. Everywhere there were scattered log cabins and timber-framed homes, and all throughout town there were playful children running about looking for all the eggs that they could find. Bunny watched them from the forest, and as he watched, small droplets of snow fell from the silver pine needles above him head. It stabbed his ears with an unnecessary chill, and when he looked up to see the problem, another drop got right in his eye. He wanted to groan, to vent, but if he made any such noise the children would hear him. As such, he ran back into the forest and rubbed is eye out. Once it was neat, he heard something. He wasn't sure what it was, but it sounded like the pitter-patter of toes dancing across the freshly fallen snow. He turned to look, but there was no one, only a trail of new footprints in the raw snowfall. Bunny was curious as to who had found him, but then he felt a wad of snow impact him in the shoulder. He turned around, and there sat a teenager, white-haired and holding a staff, sitting on a branch.

Everything faded; the memory oozed from Bunny's sight like watery paint on a canvas. He was thrust back to the Tooth Palace as quickly as he'd been thrown into the memory, and before him, he started seeing a different side of Jack. True, it was same person that had been standing in front of him before, but now, but started to remember few things. He remembered the first time that he saw Jack, and though it was indeed a painful memory, it wasn't one that he regretted. Bunny had been unsure of Jack since the beginning, in regards to both his guardianship and his status as an immortal. All those long suppressed emotions were starting to come to light once more, and as Bunny stood there, trying to take it all in, he could see that Jack was beginning to feel the same. His face bore an abstract expression, and he was unusually still.

"Snowflake," said Bunny. "Ya alright?"

"Not really, no. But what're you gonna do? I suppose, uh, Tooth wanted to show us that…for some reason."

"I think I may know why." Bunny caught Jack's attention, and he was starting to become nervous.

The rabbit paused, but it seemed more like he'd been silenced. His breath stopped, and while his ears were once perky, now they drooped like weary eyes. "Why?" asked Jack. It wasn't that Bunny was scaring him with his sudden halt, he simply wanted an answer.

"I think it may have been because she, along with the others, is under the impression that there's something happening between the two of us…" Jack was confused, but he listened as Bunny spoke further. To Bunny, it was evident that he wasn't making much sense to Jack, so he did his best to try and clarify where he could. "Ya know, mate. Don't make me say it. Like between a bloke…and a sheila."

Jack's face flushed red like a tomato, but he was too shocked to quiver. "You mean, like…" the words dripped with uncertainty, so much in fact it was poisonous. "Like, dating?"

"Worse than that, mate." The levels of doubt running through Jack's mind were propelled through the air at Mach speed, and it was beginning to suffocate him.

"What makes you think the idea of dating is a bad thing? I mean, it's not something I have much experience on, but that doesn't mean it's bad." Bunny turned backed around and headed for a different side of the platform they stood on.

He stared out into the yonder beyond the Tooth Palace as he sat down on the ledge. Jack soon joined him, and together they felt the cool breezes from the shearing mountain winds cross over their bodies. It was somewhat revitalizing, but Jack had a hunch it was going to take more than a mere gust of wind to lift up Bunny's spirits. He wanted to say something, but with Bunny's last comment, Jack officially knew that whatever he was dealing with was in no way a subject in which he was fluent. As a matter of fact, it was likely just as foreign to Jack as it was to the Guardian of Hope, but that didn't matter. Whatever it was that Bunny was feeling, Jack made up him mind on the matter, and determined that however illiterate he may have been on the topic, he'd help Bunny. If for no other reason, it's what one is supposed to do for colleagues, for friends.

"So," Jack started, trying to belligerently to ignore the awkward tension hanging between himself and the oversized rodent. "This is clearly an odd topic for you, Bunny. If you talk about it…"

Bunny groaned at the notion of speaking to Jack about his feeling. It wasn't because he was trying to hide the fact that he was having any, but rather that it seems more like Bunny didn't precisely know how to formulate his words. Bunny, at least among the guardians, was always known for his stalwart personality and heighten ambition in the face of danger and suspense. To think that central issues were the quintessential bane of his existence was a shocking revelation for Jack.

"Look, Bunny…" said Jack. "These last few days haven't been a picnic for me either, okay? I've been having a lot of confusing emotions tumbling around inside me too. But I'm willing to trying and talk through it. If you're not, then it seems like whatever this is, it's not that important."

"But it is, Jack!" the rabbit hollered over the wind. Jack smirked, and Bunny was staring at him with an entire inferno raging in his eyes after the snide comment.

"So that's what it takes to get a reaction out of you?" Jack coyly asked.

"Oh, knock it off, snowflake. This _is_ important, but I just don't know what to say. I want to figure this out as much as ya, but I've always talked with my boomerangs, or through my eggs. I've never needed to have a, whaddya call it…a heart to heart." Bunny was trying his best to explain, but only stress came out after each and every word. In his mind it was like a trail in the easternmost mountains: one clumsy step after another lead to the person in question tumbling all the way down the mountainside. To say the least, Bunny was embarrassed no matter what he tried to say. To say the most however, that was something that Jack had started to formulate on his own.

It was then that Jack had an idea; in his mind, it was a brilliant idea. Though it seemed a bit unorthodox, he started thinking that it was quite possibly the best thing for the situation. Bunny said that he wasn't good with words, and Jack couldn't have helped him even if he was anyhow. That was why when Jack first realized what needed to be done, he sprung up and smiled. Bunny watched him do this with utter confusion on his face, and as Jack hopped onto his staff and began floating around Bunny's head; all the furball could do was watch with a single raised eyebrow.

"Uh, snowflake? What are ya doing?"

"I've got a plan. Think you can keep up?" Jack asked, and this was followed by a smirked from Bunny.

"Is that a challenge, mate?"

Jack didn't answer, instead he rushed off into the distance. Bunny didn't bother saying goodbye to Tooth for the hospitality, he backed up a couple stepped and then lunged off the deep end of the Tooth Palace. Over the ledge he sailed, and came crashing down onto the ground, only to tap his foot and summon a rabbit hole. He jumped in and chased after Jack, who was soaring overhead on the bitter northern winds. Bunny knew where Jack was, for he could smell him. He smelled like disaster on a spick. The world for both guardians was rushing by in sheer flashes, and neither could clearly see where they were going, the only clear thing was that it was a race, and both wanted to win. Bunny was at a bit of a disadvantage because he didn't exactly know where Jack was headed, but that hardly mattered. As long as he followed close behind, and then made the final stretch to pull into first, he would be satisfied.

Bunny's tail flickered like mad, and up above Jack's smile couldn't have gotten any larger. Both were having an enraptured experience, but like any good thing, all such climaxes must come in due time. Bunny's nose detected a change in Jack's direction, it was getting stronger, meaning he was descending, and the finish line was nearing. Bunny picked up speed faster than a maglev train, and he erupted from the ground through the dirt like a meteor crashing to Earth. He continued his pursuit of Jack on land, miles from any watchful eyes. He bulleted between the trees, pines by the looks of them, and felt the air get colder as they ran ever northward. And then, he stopped.

Laid out before him was a vast field of spring flowers and blossoms, some of which the well-travelled warrior had never seen. He took a single step out into the field, and not a second after there were soft blades of grass puncturing his feet. It tickled almost, _almost_. Bunny flopped over a little more into the grassy terrain, and it wasn't long after that his attention was directed towards the center mound. Since the meadow was open and expansive, not to mention being surrounding by towering trees, it wasn't difficult for Bunny to single out Jack sitting on the grass up the hill ahead of him. Bunny hopped over in his direction with a frisky smile on his face, and his ears became more relaxed than they'd ever been previously. He stopped once coming within earshot of Jack, and then instead of hopping, he walked. Bunny was careful not to step on any of the flowers.

"What's this place, snowflake?"

"Oh, nowhere," the guardian said in response. "Just a little meadow I found while flying around some three hundred years ago. It's the perfect spot, isn't it?" Bunny was calmed, but this question riled him up a bit on the inside.

"The perfect spot for what?"

"Well, you said you weren't good with words, so instead I want you to try and tell me through actions. You're pretty good with boomerangs, no?" Bunny nodded. "Okay then, we'll start as soon as you're ready."

"Start what…?" asked Bunny in an inquisitive tone. "Are we fighting or something? If so, ya know I'm not the type to go easy, mate."

"I know…"

There was no stopping Jack after that. He was whisked away onto the wind, and Bunny was more than happy to oblige. He readied his boomerangs with one hand, and as he started to chase Jack around the meadow, he grabbed a couple explosive eggs with the other. Bunny quickly caught up to Jack, and before Jack saw it coming, Bunny threw the eggs and Jack found himself surrounded by puffs of blue, yellow, and pink. The shocks that emanated from the small blasts shook him from the wind, and he was forced to the ground. Jack smiled, as did Bunny. In retaliation, Jack kicked up more wind, and frosted it as it left the end of his weapon. It coated Bunny in a thin layer of powdered snow, and the part that had gotten the worse of it was his eyes. Bunny groaned, but it didn't hurt, it was just aggravating. Jack also twirled his staff, as he normally did and summoned a wall of ice that he slide on, forcing Bunny to continue chasing him. He tried going around in circles, but after one lap Bunny had had enough. The master martial artist positioned himself and skillfully aimed his boomerangs, and once he let them fly, Jack barely had time to hear them in-bound before his ice circuit was sliced and came toppling down. Bunny was faster than Jack had anticipated, and before he could respond, Bunny was bombarding him with a wave of more explosive eggs. Jack was bewildered by the barrage, and Bunny was fast enough to sneak up behind him and kicked him over, and then placing a foot firmly planted on Jack's chest. Bunny was sure he won, and then Jack pulled a last minute trick from his arsenal, and summoned one last gust to knock Bunny down, and give him a face full of flowers.

Jack was laughing more than he could consider, and Bunny chuckled as he got up. "Well played, mate. Well played indeed." He brushed his arms off of the remaining frost and started walking with Jack to the mound in the center of the meadow.

"So, Bunny," from his tone of voice, Bunny could tell what Jack was about to ask. "Feeling any better?"

"Quite better, actually. Not sure how ya did it, but I'm blooming faster than a desert rattler. Seems I owe ya one, Jack."

They arrived back at the mound and plopped over, Jack to the right of Bunny. Jack laid back and watched the clouds overhead, and Bunny hunched over with his back straight. He looked to his right and watched Jack, and he couldn't help but smile. As he did this, Jack turned his head and saw Bunny watching him, and then he sat up and reached behind him. Bunny wasn't sure what he was doing, but one Jack revealed that he'd picked a rose, Bunny started to understand what was happening. This time though, Bunny took the rose and smiled, and then he and Jack seemed to lock eyes.

"We're good, then?" asked Jack. Bunny nodded.

"Better than good, snowflake."

It was like gravity, because there was no stopping it. To Bunny it seemed odd, but regardless of what his head was telling him, he still felt himself leaning in towards Jack. Jack was doing the same, and with only inches between them, Jack closed his eyes. Bunny did the same, and it wasn't long after that both felt their lips meet. Bunny's ears dropped down, and Jack's heartbeat was propelled forward. There was a bitter awkwardness for the first few seconds, and then it evaporated into the serene environment in which they'd been. Bunny could feel his cheeks flush, and the same heat came radiating from Jack's forehead. Soon, it was like fire, and Bunny had to pull away. It may have seemed sudden, but both parties felt good, better even.

"Not bad." Said Jack.

"Not bad yourself." Bunny said back. "I think I understand now, but doesn't that make me…you know…different?"

"You've fallen in love, Bunny. Regardless of with whom, there's nothing different about that at all."

Bunny felt good in Jack's word, and soon after he found himself reaching his arm around Jack and pulling him in close. Jack was more than happy to return the embrace, and he wasted no time in leaning in against Bunny's finely honed pecks. Together they sat in that flower filled meadow, and winds from all sides came around and engulfed them in their beings. Bunny sat with the rose Jack had given him, and this time he'd be sure to treasure it. Everything had been sorted, and all questions had been answered. Bunny finally understood why he'd felt the way he did, and thanks to Jack, it was all about to get even brighter. Bunny was glad spring had dawned, because the hope that had come with it was more than anything he'd imagined. And thusly for the first time, Bunny himself felt that hope for himself, and that was something he could now share with Jack, then and ever on.

The End


End file.
